Buzz!

The sky hummed violently as the red lightning bolt above continued to charge, its energy swelling like a dam on the verge of bursting.

Tendrils of crimson electricity flickered outward, splitting through the air like cracks in reality itself. Each second, its destructive force multiplied.

The pressure in the atmosphere became suffocating, and everyone felt it.

The gathered spectators, their faces tense, began whispering amongst themselves.

"This is bad! If that bolt of lightning hits Max, he's done for!"

"Hmph! That's what he gets for angering the Young Monarch." One sneered, arms crossed, as if watching an inevitable execution.

"The strongest genius of the continent, facing the strongest ruler of the continent… A battle of fire against an unstoppable storm. This is ironic, don't you think?"

"I'd say it's a pity." One voice muttered, shaking their head.

"Pity? Hah! He brought this on himself. Angering the Monarch never ends well for anyone."

The onlookers stepped back, retreating toward the sides of the villa, not wanting to get caught in the potential annihilation about to descend.

***

Aurelia, watching the looming catastrophe, stepped forward.

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Her golden eyes flickered with resolve.

"Max, I can he—"

"No need."

Max cut her off, his voice calm.

"I will handle this myself."

His words were steady. Absolute.

Aurelia's brows furrowed, her instincts telling her to ignore his arrogance and act.

But—

A firm, composed voice spoke beside her.

"Aurelia, do you really want your guild to be targeted by the Monarch?"

Kate had returned, her expression unreadable as she looked at Aurelia.

"Let him be." Her words carried weight, spoken not with indifference but with finality.

"If he is fated to die, no one can stop it.

And if he is not—then no one here can kill him today."

Aurelia's gaze shifted between Kate, Max, and the sky.

Her mind raced.

Max was strong—unbelievably so.

But this?

This was the Young Monarch.

Her lips pressed into a thin line before she finally let out a low sigh.

"You're right." She muttered.

Her steps reluctantly retreated.

Her fists tightened, but she knew—

She had just brought calamity upon her entire guild.

And there was no turning back.

Max's smile widened as he stood alone, the surrounding now cleared of all interference.

The red lightning bolt above him crackled with devastating force, a force meant to erase him from existence.

But instead of fear, he felt something else—

Excitement.

'Let's do this.'

His thoughts sharpened, and he closed his eyes, reaching deep within himself.

Not to his Fusion State Aura.

Not to his Three-Dimensional Body.

But to something primal. Ancient. Chaotic.

His Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline.

A bloodline unlike any other.

A force so vast, so deep, that even he had only begun to scratch the surface of its potential.

And now, he would push it further.

He focused, pulling on its power, calling out to the chaos embedded within his very being.

At first—nothing.

A few silent seconds passed, the storm above raging, the red lightning ready to fall.

Then—

A flicker.

A spark in the air.

Small puffs of black flames materialized, floating gently around him like embers in the wind.

Just three or four at first.

But then—

More.

More.

More.

The flames multiplied, spreading rapidly through the sky, twisting and coiling as if alive.

They clustered together, forming countless spheres of black fire, their chaotic essence filling the air with an ominous presence.

The entire sky above the villa darkened, swallowed by the sheer volume of black flames gathering around Max.

The land, the atmosphere—everything burned black.

A storm of darkness, an inferno of chaos.

The onlookers stared in shock.

They had expected desperation.

They had expected fear.

But instead, Max stood there, surrounded by an overwhelming manifestation of his own bloodline.

And then—he grinned.

'It worked!'

This had been a gamble.

A reckless attempt to push his bloodline beyond its current limits.

If it hadn't worked?

He would have been forced to run.

But now—

Now, he didn't need to run.

He was ready to fight.

And the red lightning above?

It would soon learn—chaos doesn't bow to power.

Power bows to chaos.

Max's eyes flickered as he surveyed the darkened surrounding, his black flames coiling in the air like a chaotic storm.

He wasn't alone.

Not entirely.

He could feel them.

Even if no one else could see them, he knew—

The Black Lotus Guild was here.

Hiding. Watching. Waiting.

Each of them carried his bloodline, the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline, though weaker than his own.

And because of that—

They could not hide from him.

Their auras, though well-concealed, were like faint embers in his perception, their presence imprinted upon the very space around him.

From what he knew, his Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline was more than just powerful—

It was absolute.

A dominant force that could suppress any and every member of the Black Lotus Guild with the same bloodline flowing through their veins.

And he had done it before.

He had once suppressed them, crushing their bloodlines beneath the sheer weight of his own.

But what he was about to do now—

Was something different.

This wasn't suppression.

This was a command.

His Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline was the strongest among all.

It could sense those who shared the same lineage.

It could suppress them, overpower them, regardless of their strength.

And if it could do all that…

Then why couldn't it draw power from them?

If his bloodline dominance was absolute, then shouldn't it be possible for him to extract power from those with the same bloodline—whether they wanted to or not?

And that's what he did.

All these black flames around him in the sky were black flames drawn from the members of the Black Lotus guild.

Though he wasn't overflowing with power, the amount of black flames he had under his control was already enough for now.

But he wanted more.

He wanted everything.

Max's hands clapped together, a loud, resonating sound that echoed like a command.

At that instant—

BOOM!

The countless spheres of black flames, large and small, converged—pulling together like a collapsing star.

A monstrous mass of black fire began to form above Max's head, a swirling vortex of chaotic destruction unlike anything seen before.

It pulsed. It trembled. It grew.

The air crackled as the sheer density of flames warped space itself.

And as the flames gathered, a new force began to rise within him.

His bloodline roared in acknowledgment.

The hidden Black Lotus Guild members—

They felt it.

Their energy stirred.

They could feel a bloodline stronger than theirs was drawing out their flames.

Without their wishes.

Most importantly—

They could feel their bloodline trembling in fear.

It was a primal fear.

Born from the suppression of their bloodlines.

The surrounding had fallen into complete silence.

Everyone watched in disbelief as the black flames, which had erupted out of nowhere, now swarmed the sky, surrounding them in an inescapable sea of dark fire.

And now—they understood.

Max was controlling them.

"These black flames…" Norton Blade spoke first, his tone carrying an unmistakable solemnity.

His eyes were locked onto the seething, pulsing inferno above Max's head, the sheer density of it making the air itself tremble.

"They are very deadly."

Kate stood beside him, her expression darkening, her arms crossed as she analyzed the phenomenon.

Her sharp gaze lingered on the flames for a few moments before she finally spoke.

"They are indeed deadly flames." She exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing.

"If I'm not wrong, these are the same flames Max used in his battle at the temple."

Her words made several people stiffen.

The battle at the temple.

The battle where Max had fought and survived against the most powerful geniuses.

The battle where he had unleashed something terrifying.

At that time, the nature of the flames had been uncertain.

A mystery.

But now?

Kate's gaze remained locked onto the inferno, her thoughts sharp and precise.

"Back then, I wasn't sure."

Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it.

"But now, I am certain."

She turned to Norton, her expression heavy with realization.

"These are the same black flames used by the Black Lotus Guild."

The moment those words left her lips, a ripple of shock passed through the gathered figures.

Several guild leaders' faces darkened.

The implications were clear.

The Black Lotus Guild was one of the most enigmatic forces in the world. A shadow organization that few truly understood.

And now—Max wielded their flames.

Not just wielded them.

But controlled them better than any Black Lotus Guild member had ever been seen doing.

What did that mean?

Norton clenched his fists.

Kate's expression remained neutral, but deep inside—she knew.

Max wasn't just fighting back.

He was challenging the very balance of power in the East.

And if he truly had control over the Black Lotus flames…

Then this battle was about to take a turn no one could predict.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay